


First Game of the Season

by b000merang



Category: DCU, DCU (Comics), Superman & Lois (TV 2020), Superman (Comics), Superman - All Media Types
Genre: Clark and Lois are trying their best ok, Clark being an embarrassing dad, F/M, Football, Gen, Hurt Clark Kent, Hurt/Comfort, Kryptonite
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-27
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-18 23:55:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,634
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29741832
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/b000merang/pseuds/b000merang
Summary: Clark heard a high-pitched tone. He tilted his head to focus on it. Lois glanced over at him.“Now?” she asked softly enough to be lost in the crowd around them. He nodded.“Another powerplant,” Clark muttered. “I’m not missing the game. How long do you figure half time will last?” he asked, looking down at his watch.“I don’t know, maybe 15, 20 minutes,” Lois said.“Great, I’ll be fast.”Clark promised his family he would be there for them no matter what, and that includes being there for Jon's first high school football game. Then, of course, Superman is called right in the middle of the game. Clark is determined to not let this keep him from being able to be at the game for his son, no matter the cost.
Relationships: Clark Kent & Jonathan Kent, Clark Kent & Jordan Kent, Clark Kent/Lois Lane, Jordan Kent & Sarah Cushing, Lois Lane & Jonathan Kent, Lois Lane & Jordan Kent
Comments: 9
Kudos: 59





	First Game of the Season

**Author's Note:**

> I started writing this before ep 2 of Superman and Lois even came out bc I watched the first one and I was like I need more embarrassing dad content asap!!! Also uh disclaimer I guess, I'm a nerd who knows the bare minimum about football lmao

“You guys coming?” Clark yelled at the house, sticking his head out the driver-side window of their SUV. The sun was setting, the fall wind rustling the tall grass.

  
“One sec, he’s finding his shoes,” Lois said, leaning out the front door in his direction. She turned to talk to their son, who Clark could see pacing around and searching inside with his x-ray vision. He tapped his fingers on the steering wheel and glanced at his watch. He forced himself to take a deep breath, counting in his head through the inhale and the exhale. He stilled his fingers, trying to find some zen within him, but he found his foot tapping instead. He reached into the back seats and grabbed the case to the camera Jimmy gave him and Lois as a wedding gift. He pulled the velcro open, opting to fiddle with the expensive camera while he waited. He popped open the battery slot, confirming the battery was there, then turned it on. He sighed in relief when the battery icon was full. He was making sure he wasn’t going to miss a second of his son’s first high school football game.

“Found ‘em!” Jorden said inside the house, and Clark could hear him race down the stairs inside the house. He could hear Jordan slipping on his coat at the door. Clark put the camera back inside the case and slip it in the footwell of the backseat.

“Battery charged this time?” Lois asked, pulling the passenger door open and sliding inside with a smirk.

“You’re never going to let me live that down, are you?” Clark said. Lois pulled on her seatbelt.

“Nope,” Lois said, popping the p at the end. She turned back to face the house, and Clark followed her gaze. There was a distinct lack of a teenager coming out of the house to join them. “Let’s go, kiddo,” Lois yelled towards the open door.  
Jordan walked out, head down and tapping at his phone. He pulled the door closed behind him, plodded down the steps and across the dirt driveway. He opened the car door and slid into his seat, buckling his seatbelt.

“You ready?” Clark asked, turning around to face him.

“Yeah,” Jordan said, his thumbs flying across his phone. Clark glanced over to Lois, who was doing her best to suppress a laugh. After a moment of silence, Jordan finally looked up, only to cringe.

“ _No_ ,” Jordan said.

“ _Yep_ ,” Clark shot back.

“Dad, oh god, you can’t go like that,” Jordan said.

“What? What’s wrong with this?” Clark asked, grinning. The week before, he had swung into town to get a Smallville High School Jersey. It was bright red with gold accents and a small black crow embroidered above the name "Kent" printed on it. He also added some black grease stripes on his cheeks and a Smallville High Crows baseball cap, which was currently turned backward. The kicker though was the plastic crows perched on either shoulder. Lois had helped him figure out a way to sew magnets into the inside of his jacket and then glue matching magnets to the feet of the birds. That made them sit stable on his shoulders without completely sacrificing his favorite jacket in the name of football. The perk to this magnet system was that he could turn the birds sideways so that he could sit in the car without their tailfeathers pushing on his seat. But that meant that he had a beak poking into his face while twisted around.

“Dad, oh my god,” Jordan said, shielding his eyes from the sight in front of him and shrinking back into his seat.

“Oh, come on, show some school spirit,” Clark said. He turned around and turned the key in the ignition. “Gotta go all out for your first game.”

“Ugh, no, pass. I’m good,” Jordan said. Clark started pulling the car around in their large driveway, heading in the direction of the road.

“Alright, your loss,” Clark said. “It’s a lot of fun.”

“Why would I show school spirit when I don’t know anyone here?” Jordan said.

“You know Jon. And Sarah,” Lois said. “And what about those kids in your English class that you were talking about the other day?”

“Eh, they’re not really…” Jordan said, trailing off and staring out the window. His phone buzzed, and he turned his attention back to it. They drove in silence for a bit. Clark glanced over at Lois, his grin faltering for a second. It was times like this when Clark couldn’t help but question if they made the right choice moving to Smallville. Lois gave him the same look of worry in return but placed a comforting hand on his knee. She twisted around and grabbed the camera from the floor.

“Hey, why don’t you be in charge of the camera tonight?” Lois said, holding the camera out behind her.

“Yeah, sure,” Jordan said, taking the camera and taking it out of the case. Clark could hear him fiddling with the DLSR settings.

“You know,” Lois said, “I bet they have a yearbook club. You could see if they need a photographer.”

“Clubs aren’t really my thing,” Jordan said.

“It would be a good way to get to know the town,” Lois added. “Plus, a club would look good on college applications.”

“Yeah, it would,” Jordan said. “I’m good though. Why join a club when I could just devote my time to all the thrills of _farming_.”

“Isn’t Sarah in the FFA?” Clark said as he turned into the high school parking lot.

“What?” Jordan asked.

“Future Farmers of America,” Clark said. “Maybe you could ask her about how to join, too.”

“What do they even do?” Jordan asked. “Milk cows and debate about tractors?”

“You never know until you ask,” Lois said. Clark parked the car. Other people were heading in the direction of the football field on the side of the school.

The three of them got out of the car.

“If you change your mind about the school spirit thing,” Clark said, going around to the back of the car and pulling out some giant sheets of paper, “let me know. I made more than enough signs to go around.” He held up his sign for Jordan to see, displaying the glittery foam gold letters that read “GO JON!!” on the red sign with black v-shaped birds drawn around it with a black sharpie. He handed another one to Lois, which read “SVHS IS #1!!” in glittery red and gold alternating letters.

“My hands are gonna be pretty full with this,” Jordan said, wiggling the camera in the air.

“Alright, that’s cool,” Clark said. They all joined the steady stream of people heading to the field. In one section of the bleachers, the school band was starting up with some pre-game songs. The horns echoed around the field.

“You wanna sit with--” Clark started to ask.

“Jordan!” Sarah yelled. She was sitting in the middle of the front row. She was waving him down and moving her backpack from the bleacher seat to the ground, opening a seat for him.

“See you guys later,” Jordan said. He started hurrying in her direction.

“Okay, we’ll be up here,” Lois called after him, gesturing up higher in the bleachers. Jordan threw a thumbs up into the air, signaling he heard them.

“Well,” Clark said to Lois, taking off his baseball cap and flourishing it in an extravagant bow, “after you.”

“Why thank you,” Lois said, imitating his flourish with her imaginary hat. “I see some good seats. Come on, we gotta snag them before someone else gets them!” Lois grabbed Clark’s wrist and ran up the bleacher stairs, Clark letting her lead the way. He did his best not to face-plant while stumbling after her, and soon they were sitting down in the middle of the bleachers.

In a small town like Smallville, football games were always a big deal, and tonight was no exception. As the minutes passed, the bleachers filled in until most spots were filled. Clark adjusted his crows on his jacket to make sure they were facing forward.  
Jon had worked so hard to make it to this point. And then he agreed to give up his quarterback position he had earned at Metropolis High so that the family could move to the farm. He was proud of his son for making that tough choice, but Clark could also tell how much it pained him to let that achievement go. Clark had promised Jordan that he would be there for him from now on, and he promised that to Jon, too. The jersey, the hat, the crows, the signs, were all part of his effort to make sure his son saw how excited and proud his dad was of him. He needs Jon to see that despite his mistakes, the moments he’s missed in the past, he’s here now and he will always be here for his son.

His thoughts shifted to his other son. Clark searched the crowd below him. Sarah had taken the camera from Jordan and was standing in front of him, snapping pictures while he sat in his seat squirming. He could hear them laughing about it and watched as Sarah insisted on taking a selfie with Jordan, too. Jordan tried to get the camera back, pleading for her to delete some pictures she had taken of him.

“Looks like we don’t have to worry about him tonight,” Clark said, pointing Jordan and Sarah out to Lois.

“Guess not. Those pictures are going to be so cute,” Lois said. “Look at them, it’s so nice to see Jordan with a friend.”

“It’s so weird…” Clark said. Lois gave him a look.

“It’s weird that Jordan has a friend?” Lois asked.

“N-no, no!” Clark said. “I mean, it’s weird because it feels like yesterday that Lana and I were their age, goofing off before a football game. And now my kid and Lana’s kid are doing the same thing. It’s so… bizarre. But like in a _good_ way!” Clark added when he saw the stare Lois was giving him. She chuckled, turning her gaze back to their son.

“Yeah, I get it,” she said. “Getting old and seeing your kids grow up in your hometown is weird.”

“Yeah,” Clark said. “Sorta… bittersweet? But emphasis on the sweet.”

“What I wouldn’t give to see high school you at a football game,” Lois said. “I bet you were so cute.”

“What, am I not cute now?” Clark asked, turning his shoulders to face her so that the crows could join his puppy dog stare. Lois laughed and pushed him.

“Shut up, I can’t stand that look,” Lois said.

“What, this one?” Clark said, making puppy eyes at her again.

“Yes, that one,” Lois said. She gave him a peck on the cheek. “Stop that.”

“Okay,” Clark laughed. The music shifted, and an announcer started speaking to the crowd. Clark gripped his sign in one hand while tapping Lois’s knee. “It’s starting, it’s starting! Here he comes!”

A moment later, the Smallville High football team gathered to the side of the field. He could see them jumping up and down, hyping each other up. Two people walked onto the end zone holding a large school banner between two poles. The coach ran behind one of the poles, brandishing a fire extinguisher. The music rose and the players ripped through the banner and spilled onto the field. The coach blasted them with the fire extinguisher as they ran by, creating a dramatic fog.

The crowd roared. Clark and Lois stood up, screaming along with the crowd. They brandished their signs above their heads. Clark searched the group until he found Jon on the field. He had the widest smile and was chatting animatedly with his teammates.

“Go Jon!” Clark yelled, waving down at the field. Jon searched the bleachers, picking him out of the crowd. He waved back to his parents, then turned his attention to the team.

The opposing high school team similarly ran onto the field, and soon they were starting.

Jon was fantastic. His hours of practice were showing; he was easily one of the best players. His team scored their first touchdown, and Clark and Lois went nuts in the stands. The first quarter came and went.

During the second quarter, Jon got the ball. Clark leaped to his feet.

“GO, GO, GO! YOU GOT THIS,” he yelled. Seconds later, another player tackled Jon to the ground. Clark’s heart leaped into his throat. He watched Jon get tackled before, but it never failed to cause a horrible moment of fear while his boy was still on the ground. The boys helped each other up, Jon springing to his feet. Clark let out the breath he hadn’t realized he had been holding. He was fine. He had also gained significant ground for his team. He and Lois cheered while they got back into position.  
Clark had been glancing down to check on Jordan throughout the night. It looked like despite his lack of enthusiasm, he was having a good time. He had been snapping photos and chatting with Sarah each time Clark looked. Except for this time, their spots were empty.

“Where’d Jordan go?” Clark asked, nudging Lois. Lois scanned the edges of the field.

“Ah, found them,” Lois said, nodding in the direction of the edge of the bleachers. Clark watched Sarah and Jordan walk around the corner and underneath the bleachers with his x-ray vision. “Looks like we’ve got some hooligans on our hands,” Lois said.

“S-should we do something?” Clark asked, looking to Lois.

“Nah, they’re just being teenagers,” Lois said. “They’ll be fine.”

“Yeah, you’re right,” Clark said.

The referee blew her whistle and halftime was announced over the speaker system. The players dispersed to their respective sides of the field, huddled together for a team meeting.

The school band was starting to file down the stairs to the middle of the field when Clark heard a high-pitched tone. He tilted his head to focus on it. Lois glanced over at him.

“Now?” she asked softly enough to be lost in the crowd around them. He nodded. He closed his eyes to concentrate on filtering out the other noises. A familiar type of klaxon alarm was going off, people were screaming. He could hear a man talking to 911 on the phone and picked out the words “reactor” and “core meltdown.”

“Another powerplant,” Clark muttered. He looked back at the field where his son was holding his helmet under his arm and guzzling water, surrounded by his teammates. He looked tired but so alive, so happy. Jon’s eyes caught Clark watching, and he waved up to his parents. Clark waved back, his heart heavy in his chest.

“I’m not missing the game,” Clark said.

“You have to go,” Lois said, turning to her husband.

“How long do you figure half time will last?” he asked, looking down at his watch.

“I don’t know, maybe 15, 20 minutes,” Lois said.

“Great, I’ll be fast.” Clark pulled his crows off his shoulder and handed them to Lois. “Hold onto these until I get back. Oh hey, you want a snack while I’m out?” Lois propped her sign up against her legs to free up her hands for the crows.

“Sure,” she said and raised an eyebrow at him.

Before she could say anything else, Clark was making his way down the bleachers. He kept his pace slow, purposely almost tripping on the way down. He headed in the direction of the small snack vendor. Then at the last second, he ducked to the side of the bleachers and raced to the car with his superhuman speed. He sped through stripping out of his civilian clothes, revealing his suit underneath. He was about to race toward the crisis when he paused. He looked at his reflection on the window from the streetlights in the parking lot. His black greasepaint. He used his super-speed to grab a spare wet wipe from inside the car and wiped his face clean. He was going to have to thank Lois for keeping those in the car when he got back.

He sped away, launching himself into the air once he was far enough for no one to notice him. In what felt like a blink of the eye, he was at the source of the crisis.

The area was in chaos. Evacuated workers crowded around the area in hard hats and lab coats. More workers were streaming out from the building with the alarms blaring. Military vehicles had parked in the surrounding area. Members of the US Army were directing the movements of the panicked scientists. Other first responder vehicles filled the area, their sirens joining the cacophony. The nuclear towers were smoking.

He flew to the cooling tower. The heat coming off it was intense. He ignored it and scanned for what he already knew was there. He circled, searching. There. A crack in the cooling tower identical to the ones found at other reactors in the last few months.

He created a sonic boom as he flew in the direction of the nearest body of water. At this point, it was almost becoming routine: dive underwater, freeze the water into a huge iceberg, and bring it to the reactor.

As soon as the lake was within reach, Clark dove into the center. Hitting the water felt like a brick wall and almost took his breath away, but he never lost momentum. Fish scattered around him in the murky depths, fleeing to safety. Once he reached the bottom, he flipped around so he was looking up to the surface. With all his might, he started blowing his ice breath. Above him, the water started to solidify, ice crystals webbing through the water until a block of ice formed. It expanded, growing and growing. Clark blew until he could feel his lungs screaming for air, creating the biggest iceberg he could. He flew up, pushing the iceberg through the water.

It broke the surface, and he slowly lifted it into the air. He shifted his grip, making sure that it was firmly in his hands and wouldn’t slip out during the trip back. He turned back in the direction of the reactor and flew as fast as he dared.

He heard people shouting as he approached the reactor with the iceberg. He glanced over and this time noticed General Lane standing in the crowd, watching Superman fly as he barked orders at his men.

Clark lined up the iceberg with the opening of the cooling tower and slowly descended. He lowered into the center of the reactor and could feel the full force of the heat. Sweat and water started dripping down him as he focused on keeping the rapidly melting ice steady. He listened outside for a sign that the ice was working. After a few moments, he heard some scientists talking with General Lane, their tone relieved. Clark let out his own sigh, closing his eyes. They’ll be ok.  
Once the iceberg had melted to the point that it was the size of an average boulder, Clark flew up and out. He descended towards a courtyard at the center of the control building. He gently placed the remaining ice into a small fountain in the center. There, no wasted water.

He flew to the crowd, landing near General Lane. The scientists and military cheered. He gave them a polite nod and a wave.

“Nice work, Superman,” General Sam Lane said.

“It’s the same thing,” Clark said, walking closer to him. “There’s a crack in the cooling tower.”

“Figured as much,” General Lane said. “Just got this security footage from after the control room was evacuated.” General Lane held up a touchpad to show Clark the video. A figure wearing an exo-suit stood in the center of the room. Red lights flashed and warning messages played on the screens behind them, but the person didn’t react, only staring straight at the camera.

“He may still be in there,” General Lane said.

“I’ll go check,” Clark said. He flew into the building through the front door, using his x-ray vision to guide him to the control room. He flung the door off its hinges.

The room was empty. No exo-suited individuals here. Except, the center monitor on the far wall displayed video footage of the person in question.

“Hello, Kal-El,” the person within the suit said on the screen. “So nice of you to join me.”

“I know you’re here,” Clark said. “Where are you?”

“Where I am doesn’t matter,” the voice said. “What does matter is where _you_ are.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?” Clark said. He tensed up and started looking around the room.

“It means you’re right where I want you to be.” The video feed cut, and a split second afterward, Clark noticed a box on the table in front of him. It hadn’t stood out when he first walked in, but now his gut was screaming at him to get away from it.  
He only had time to turn around before it exploded. The force threw him towards the door. Dust and debris floated through the air. It took a second to register what had happened. He started to push himself up off the ground. He hissed at a sudden pain all over his back and felt his breath catch.

He doesn’t get hurt from explosions like that. Something was off. His vision blurred for a second, and when it came into focus, he noticed some of the shrapnel littering the floor around him. It was green.

Kryptonite. The bomb had been filled with Kryptonite.

**Author's Note:**

> In case you were wondering yes the whole crows on the shoulder are based on the magnetic Remy the rat that can sit on your shoulder https://bit.ly/3bKJP4I


End file.
